Jonny Wilkinson announces retirement from all forms of rugby at the end of season - Telegraph England Jonny Wilkinson announces retirement from all forms of rugby at the end of season Fly-half who kicked England to World Cup victory in 2003 to bow out after Heineken Cup final with Saracens on Saturday or the Top 14 game with Castres on May 31 Time to move on: Toulon captain Jonny Wilkinson's last game in professional rugby will be the Heineken Cup final Photo: ACTION IMAGES Follow Jonny Wilkinson, England ’s 2003 World Cup-winning fly-half, has confirmed that he intends to retire from rugby at the end of the season. The 34-year-old, who will turn 35 the day after Toulon face Saracens in the Heineken Cup final at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, made his long-awaited announcement on the Top 14 club’s website on Monday. "I would like to take this opportunity to formally announce my retirement from playing rugby," said Wilkinson, who won 91 caps for England and six caps for the British and Irish Lions.

"It goes without saying that I have an enormous number of people to thank for their support from all around the world but especially here in France and in England. "This however is not at all the time to be concentrating on this as I would like to focus all my attention and energy on the team and these final two games of the season. Related Articles Farrell seeks revenge on idol 18 May 2014 "I sincerely thank you all for everything you have given me and for making these last 17 years something I will never forget." He made his debut for Newcastle in 1997 and stayed with them until 2009, winning the Tetleys Bitter Cup twice in that time before joining Toulon, with whom he won the Heineken Cup last season. Wilkinson retires as one of just five men to score 1000 points in international rugby, with his 1246 second only to New Zealand great Dan Carter. His metronomic boot kicked England to the final of the 2003 World Cup and then, against hosts Australia, he landed the most valuable three points of his life with a minute of extra-time left, earning his country a 20-17 victory.

He ended the tournament with 113 points. Injuries, often caused by his no-holds-barred approach to tackling, would set in after that and he was never able to be as dominant a force as he once was in the national shirt, but he still played a key role in taking England to the 2007 World Cup final, while he won the Six Nations in 2011. He retired from international rugby with 91 caps in December 2011, by which point he was already making a new career for himself in France. Well-known as a perfectionist, Wilkinson took his distinctive kicking style to Toulon in 2009 and immediately became the fulcrum of their side. He won the Heineken Cup with them last season and this weekend can bow out with back-to-back victories in the competition. WILKINSON INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS British and Irish Lions caps: 6 World Cup finals: 2 Jonny Wilkinson: Retired England World Cup winner 'breaking apart' - BBC Sport BBC Sport Jonny Wilkinson: Retired England World Cup winner 'breaking apart' 6 Sep 2015 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Read more about sharing.

Jonny Wilkinson was awarded the MBE after helping England to win the 2003 World Cup England World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson feels like he is "breaking apart" as he adjusts to life after retiring from rugby. He says he suffered from depression between the 2003 and 2007 World Cups because of injuries and there was a "fraudulent side" to his success. Media playback is not supported on this device Wilkinson on 'young' England & Sam Burgess "I don't feel any worth in saying 'I was a rugby player'," he said. In a frank interview with the Mail on Sunday, the former Newcastle Falcons and Toulon fly-half reveals his "confusion" about both his achievements and future. Wilkinson won 91 England caps, is his country's leading points scorer and one of just five men to score 1,000 points in international rugby, with his total of 1,246 second only to New Zealand great Dan Carter. He received an MBE from the Queen in 2003 after the World Cup triumph and was made a CBE in June this year.

"I find it difficult being honoured with something when I don't see that I have earned it, or could have earned it," said Wilkinson. Media playback is not supported on this device Jonny Wilkinson's Twickenham career highlights "I feel like I'm breaking apart in that I am going somewhere where my answer will be massively in the spiritual and philosophical, but it's not there yet. "Before I got my injuries I was so tied up with who I was and how important I felt I was. "I went through depression in the four years I was injured. I was forced to go through it." Wilkinson also enjoyed a successful club career, winning a Premiership title and two Anglo-Welsh Cups with Newcastle and two Heineken Cups and a French Top 14 title with Toulon, where he ended his playing days. "The best thing about my career in terms of me as a person was being injured for four years and going through what I went through in terms of mental issues.

"I feel my mind has been opened and I have been supported towards being able to attack life on a privileged level." Share this page Nick Abendanon: England should pick overseas players - BBC Sport BBC Sport Nick Abendanon: England should pick overseas players 6 May 2015 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Read more about sharing. Abendanon topped four attack categories in the Champions Cup Clermont full-back Nick Abendanon says the Rugby Football Union should allow players working for clubs outside England to represent the national team. Abendanon has won the European Player of the Year award, the third time a French-based English player has won it. Yet since the 2011 Rugby World Cup, an RFU rule has said only those involved in domestic rugby can play for England. "Having that rule in place restricts players from playing at the top level," said 28-year-old Abendanon. "You're playing with the best players in the world and coming here has made me a better player and better person. Club v country In 2010 the RFU decided they would not pick overseas players, in an attempt to protect the strength of the Premiership in England.

Australia have had a similar selection policy, but changed their rules last month to make those players who have made 60 international appearances eligible. Manager Stuart Lancaster can use an 'exceptional circumstances' clause to call-up overseas players World Rugby says "such policies are at the discretion of the unions" "I know exactly why the RFU has that policy in place and I don't expect it to change - but I have changed my mind on it since moving out here." Abendanon played two matches for England in 2007 but last summer he moved from Bath to Clermont, scoring a fine solo try in the 24-18 loss to Toulon. in the final of the European Rugby Champions Cup. Toulon's Steffon Armitage and Jonny Wilkinson, now retired, won the European Player of the Year award, in 2014 and 2013 respectively. Steffon Armitage has only five caps for England After winning the award, Abendanon told BBC Radio 5 live he "would encourage more people to move" to France.

Abendanon has said "it would be a dream come true" to represent England in the 2015 World Cup, but England head coach Stuart Lancaster has only picked domestic-based players. "I played for 10 years in England and came out to France because I thought my international career was over," added Abendanon. "I'm sure Steffon felt the same. "Playing in France has rejuvenated our games and whether we get rewarded for that is up to Stuart." England make international outcasts of players 'lost in France' | Paul Rees | Sport | The Guardian Sportblog England make international outcasts of players 'lost in France' All 64 players in England's two senior national squads are with Premiership clubs, leaving those based overseas out in the cold James Haskell, who has rejoined Wasps after playing abroad, has been named in the England squad.

Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images Sportblog England make international outcasts of players 'lost in France' All 64 players in England's two senior national squads are with Premiership clubs, leaving those based overseas out in the cold Friday 26 October 2012 13.38 EDT First published on Friday 26 October 2012 13.38 EDT Share on Messenger Close When Jonny Wilkinson this week said that his Toulon team-mate Steffon Armitage was a world-class player who should be called into the England squad, his words made no impact at Twickenham where players who cross the Channel are deemed to be lost in France. All 64 players in the two senior national squads are contracted to Premiership clubs, the outcome of a policy designed to minimise what a couple of seasons ago threatened to be a player drain to a country where rugby seems immune from Europe's economic crisis.

The Rugby Football Union's stance means that the two loosehead props who will be in the 23 when England play Fiji at Twickenham on 10 November in the opening autumn international will be players who were born in the 1990s, Joe Marler and the uncapped Mako Vunipola. Another of Wilkinson's club colleagues, Andrew Sheridan, offered not just experience but a devastating track record against Australia, the second opponents in the QBE series, but players who earn their livings outside the Premiership will be considered for international duty only under exceptional circumstances. The policy is designed to protect Premiership clubs from losing their best assets and to allow the England head coach to have his players available at all times. There will be no absentees when the national squad gathers in Burton next week for a training camp, which would not have been the case had any been based in France, and everyone will be available for the fourth international against New Zealand in December which, as it lies outside the International Rugby Board's Test window, means that the regulation governing the release of players does not apply. "The issue of players based outside England is a tricky one and we looked at it long and hard," says Rob Andrew, the RFU's professional rugby director.

"A couple of seasons ago, we had a few players who were with French clubs and there were complications over the release of some of them and battles with owners. It was just about manageable, if inconvenient, but if any more had gone it would have been a problem: we had to stop the exodus. We wanted to give the England head coach the best chance of succeeding and that meant having all his players available all the time, something that was given added significance by our hosting the 2015 World Cup. "We have always made it clear to players what the consequences are if they go abroad. The move does not end someone's international career, but it puts them at a disadvantage. It is not out of the question that someone based in France will play for England, but the head coach has to conclude that exceptional circumstances, such as an injury crisis in one position, merit the selection. The message to those abroad who have international ambitions is to come home." This is what the England internationals James Haskell, Tom Palmer and Shane Geraghty have done this season, and the first two are in the elite squad.

Wales, in contrast, fly to Poland next week to start preparing for their four internationals without five players who are based in France and England, who will not be available for the final fixture against Australia, while French clubs cast an avaricious gaze at players such as Jamie Roberts, Alex Cuthbert and George North. Wales's leading three loosehead props, Gethin Jenkins, Paul James and Rhys Gill, play in France or England. Scotland's squad contains nine players who are based in France and England while Argentina, who start their European tour in Cardiff next month, have 15. Ireland's 31-strong squad announced this week all play for one of the country's four regions: Tommy Bowe has returned to Ulster from Ospreys and Leicester's Geordan Murphy has retired from international rugby.

The Irish Rugby Football Union has over the years managed to dissuade Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara and others from playing overseas, using the subsidy from playing in the Six Nations and the Heineken Cup to pay lucrative salaries – with leading international players such as Leinster's Jonathan Sexton thought to earn sums of up to €500,000 (£400,000) a year – and guaranteed rest periods. "You have to feel for the Welsh regions because they are producing young players of real quality," says Mark McCafferty, the chief executive of Premiership Rugby, "but you cannot fight market forces to a standstill. I think economic pressures will slow things down in France in time and they will start, as we have been doing in the Premiership, to concentrate on bringing their own players through the system. You only have to look at the current England squad and its low average age to appreciate how investing time and money in the academy system has worked to the benefit of the clubs and England." When Sheridan moved to Toulon, like Simon Shaw last year, he knew he was much closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

When players in the southern hemisphere used to end their careers in Europe, such as Tim Horan, Matt Burke, Andrew Mehrtens, Justin Marshall and Gary Teichmann, they called it their superannuation policy. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa all excluded players based abroad from Test selection; the Springboks modified the policy to a maximum of two in a squad, but the All Blacks and Wallabies have held firm, even if Australia have been considering turning to players in France for next month's tour of Europe because of chronic injury problems. "For those nearing the end of their careers, the opportunity of playing in France is attractive," Andrew says. "But the financial offer has to be very good for younger players because they will lose their international income. What we have done is give clubs incentives to include England qualified players in their match-day squads and the benefits, for them and the national side, have been considerable. "There was a time when clubs questioned the value of having England players in their squads because they were absent for parts of the season, but that has changed: the heart and soul goes out of a club when it loses its Englishness.

Harlequins, the Premiership champions, have on average 19 English players in their match-day squad and Saracens can field an all-English back division. There is probably a number of elite squad players over which they may not want to go beyond, say six, but that is sensible. "What we are now getting is young players, who are benefiting from the dual registration that allows them to play Championship rugby at a vital time in their development, being given their chance, whereas a few years ago clubs may have turned to experienced players from overseas." While England will go into battle next month without English players who live in France, four of the squad were born abroad: Brad Barritt and Mouritz Botha are South African, Manu Tuilagi is Samoan and Vunipola was born in Tonga. Fiji are concerned that clubs in France and England are tempting players away from the islands at a young age, knowing they will qualify for their new country after three years. "I have sympathy for them," Andrew says, "but Mako and Manu have come through our system and have been in England since they were eight and 13 respectively.

Perhaps the residency rule should be looked at, as it has been over the years, but professionalism has changed the landscape and the experience of players based in Europe has helped Argentina, for example." Steffon Armitage was born in Trinidad, like his brother Delon, another exile at Toulon, and they spent part of their childhood on the French Riviera. Like Tuilagi and Vunipola, they came through the system in England and were capped at the ages of 23 and 24 respectively. Now they are back in France and the caps are out of reach. Rugby World Cup: Why won't England pick overseas players? - BBC Sport BBC Sport Rugby World Cup: Why won't England pick overseas players? 8 May 2015 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Abendanon called for a change in RFU policy on picking overseas-based players By Chris Jones BBC Radio 5 live When England head coach Stuart Lancaster named his World Cup training squad earlier this month, European player of the year Nick Abendanon and his predecessor Steffon Armitage were not included.

Both men may be in the form of their life but the Rugby Football Union's current selection policy means the France-based pair are currently ineligible to represent the national team, bar "exceptional circumstances" which were not met. BBC Sport looks at the issue which is dividing opinion in England and beyond. Why is there this policy? The policy was formalised by the Rugby Football Union in 2010 and came into effect after the 2011 World Cup. There are two main reasons for it: - to protect the quality of the English league by ensuring the best English players play in it - to give the RFU more control and better access to current England or potential England players. The Welsh Rugby Union, for example, selects players who play their rugby abroad, but have had problems accessing those at clubs in France and England. How has it impacted England? Toby Flood won the last of his 60 England caps in November 2013 and joined Toulouse the following year On the whole, the policy has achieved its aim, with the vast majority of English players having opted for international honours over better wages in places like France.

But prop Andrew Sheridan in effect ended his 40-cap England career by deciding to join French side Toulon in 2012, while fly-half Toby Flood did likewise when moving to Toulouse last summer. Back rower James Haskell put his England career on hold to play for clubs in New Zealand and Japan, but the policy didn't impact on the international career of former Toulon fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who retired from international duty following the 2011 World Cup. Who is in favour of it? Clubs in the English Premiership, for a start. "You want English players playing in the Premiership," says Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill. "If you take that away and allow players to go anywhere in the world and still get picked for England, then I think it would be hugely damaging to the Premiership." Welshman Dai Young, now boss of Premiership side Wasps, agrees. "England's stance is by far the best," he says. "They should stick to it, otherwise you will see the quality of the Premiership dwindle." He also argues it is harder to monitor a player's fitness, condition and welfare if they move abroad. And those against?

World-Cup winning full-back Iain Balshaw cannot understand why England do not want to be able to pick 2014 European player of the year Armitage, who plays for Toulon, and his successor Abendanon, who represents Clermont Auvergne, if they so desire. "We have to do everything we possibly can to give ourselves the best chance of winning the World Cup," says Balshaw, who played for Biarritz for five years and still lives in France. "It's not as though these guys - Armitage and Abendanon - are playing for mediocre teams. They are playing for the two best teams in Europe. They are training - week in, week out - with some of the best players in the world." Former England prop David Flatman agrees that a move to France can improve a player and says the current selection policy could put the RFU into a difficult hole. 2003 England World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson became a firm favourite at Toulon late in his career "Say, for example, you have a young loose-head prop, like Northampton's Alex Waller. He's not quite getting the nod for England.

What if he goes to play for Toulon and plays with former New Zealand prop Carl Hayman and gets better and better and better? What happens then?" What do other countries do? After Australia recently relaxed their eligibility criteria, England and New Zealand are now the only two major nations to pick only home-based players. Wales select players based overseas but have been heavily criticised for their stance. With the regional teams in Wales struggling financially over the past few seasons, a number of key players, such as Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny, Jonathan Davies, George North and Dan Lydiate, have all moved abroad knowing they could continue playing for the national side. That exodus has weakened the Welsh domestic game even further. Leigh Halfpenny plays for European champions Toulon but is still picked by Wales Interestingly, Wales head coach Warren Gatland, a New Zealander, says he wouldn't pick French-based players if he were in charge of England. He claims he wouldn't need to given the player resources available to the English. What if England's rule was changed? It will be "hugely damaging", according to Leicester boss Cockerill.

"You could go out and play in Japan in the first part of the season and come and play the Six Nations in England and double your money," he says. Flatman, on the other hand, thinks scrapping the selection policy would be a positive step for English rugby. He certainly does not believe it would lead to a mass exodus of English players to France. "We are flattering ourselves to think the French clubs are clamouring for English players," he says. Interestingly, he suggests that if more English players become available on the open market, French clubs may not have to pay as much in wages because there will be more choice. He also reckons players leaving for France would open up opportunities back home for others, like Jamie Gibson and Anthony Watson, who replaced Armitage and Abendanon at London Irish and Bath respectively. "There are arguments both ways and pros for pretty much every con," says Flatman. Share this page England women's Rugby World Cup squad | Rugby Union News | Sky Sports England women's Rugby World Cup squad Last Updated: 10/07/14 12:36pm We profile the 26 players who've made Gary Street's England Women's Rugby World Cup squad.

The top 12 nations in women's rugby union will compete in France this August and Sky Sports will show the semi-finals and final plus pool stage matches live. England will be hoping to lift the trophy having finished runners-up in the last three Women's Rugby World Cups and recording their only win in 1994. Find out more England squad who will be looking to repeat the success of 20 years ago... Clare Allen CLUB: Richmond England caps: 27 As if playing at centre for your country isn’t tough enough, Claire Allan mixes her rugby with her day job as a Police Officer in the Metropolitan Police – Acton Proactive Robbery Squad. Claire had a taste of World Cup action on the Sevens circuit playing in both the 2009 World Cup in Dubai and the 2013 World Cup in Moscow but was cruelly stopped from playing in the 2010 XVs World Cup when she ruptured her ACL two weeks before the tournament kicked off. She did, however, show off her skills in front of the camera as she was a lead pundit with Sky Sports.

Her career began with Richmond at the age of 14 and before returning there in 2009, she represented Clifton, Wasps, Worcester and Saracens. Claire has represented England at seven levels; Under 18s, Under 19s, Under 20s, Academy, A, Sevens and Seniors and is a big fan of Olympic Gold medallist, Mo Farah. “I love his down-to-earth attitude and work ethic,” she says. Margaret Alphonsi CLUB: Saracens England caps: 70 Born with a club foot, Margaret, known by many as Maggie the Machine, has turned early adversity into a remarkable career which has seen the Saracens flanker awarded an MBE in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for Services to Rugby, something the experienced player described as “incredible”. She has played in two XVs Rugby World Cups and in 2012 shared in a record-breaking seventh successive Six Nations title and a sixth Grand Slam in seven years.

Maggie started playing rugby in the centres and then moved to the back row – her first cap for England came at 12 and her second cap for England at 7. Maggie has also picked up a number of high-profile awards. In 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Bedfordshire for her services to rugby, she has been named in the Powerlist for three years running, a highly respected publication which profiles 100 of the most influential people of African and African-Caribbean descent in Britain. There was also the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year prize in 2010 and the prestigious Pat Marshall award from the Rugby Union Writers’ Club, where she pipped New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw, to the gong to become the first woman to claim the prize in its50-year history. Rachael Burford CLUB: Thurrock England caps: 51 Rachael comes from a rugby family background. She played in the same Medway RFC team as her mother, Renata (who's Polish), and her sister, Louise. It was the club where Rachael spent the first ten years of her career.

And, to ensure that there was a full house of Burfords at Medway, dad Michael also played for them as did her brother, Reuben. Rachael was selected to go to the RFUW Rugby Academy at Bath at the age of 16 before being advised to join a Premiership club to raise her experience levels. So, off to Henley she went before being picked for the England U19s, only for a couple of serious injuries to lead to nearly two seasons being lost. Thankfully, that did not hold her back. A talented sevens player, Rachael took part in the 2009 and 2013 Sevens World Cups, her high spots including sharing in England’s triumph over Australia in the 2012 Hong Kong Sevens final. She also played in the 2006 15-a-side World Cup, making her senior debut against Canada, and the 2010 tournament in England. Rochelle Clarke CLUB: Worcester England caps: 91 A leader in the front row, Rochelle already has a glittering career to look back on but is determined to triumph on a global stage before she hangs up her scrum hat.

She has played in two World Cups, in 2006 and 2010, and remembers fondly the 2010 final: “The home crowd chanting ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ while the Kiwis did the haka gave me goosebumps and an overwhelming sense of pride.” Rocky found rugby when she was 15 with Beaconsfield and after working her way through the England ranks at U19 and Academy levels she thanks Geoff Richards for awarding her first cap. Also, she says: “Rob Drinkwater recognised my potential and gave me exposure while England forwards coach Graham Smith strives to make me better and better.” Emma Croker CLUB: Richmond INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 50 Richmond hooker Emma has more reason than most to enjoy every game of rugby that she plays. The birth of her child was a complicated one that led to her being banned from any kind of training for three months after the delivery of her baby girl, Lucy. As soon as she was cleared by the doctors to resume training, Emma threw herself back into things with a vengeance. Incredibly, after four months she was back playing club rugby and after five she was in the England side selected for the European Championships.

“One day I was pregnant,” she said, “the next I’m on the field. I think being a mum makes you more focused. I used to think I trained 110% but I know now that I didn’t. Now I am much more intense because every minute in the gym is time away from Lucy.” Having played in the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai, Emma went on to be selected for the 2010 XVs World Cup in England and played in every game. Becky Essex CLUB: Richmond INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 52 Becky only picked up rugby at Loughborough University at the age of 19. She remembered: “It was a good set-up there with good coaches. Then I joined Premiership club, Worcester. When I moved to London to do my PGCE, I joined Richmond where I was selected for the England Academy.” Becky has not looked back since. She was voted as Richmond’s Players’ Player of the Season in 2010 – some effort for someone who began life on the wing before making the unusual career move to the pack. These days she appears as a lock or blind-side flanker.

She got her first taste of World Cup rugby in 2010 and played a part in all five of England's games. Her greatest World Cup memory is lining up opposite the All Blacks haka in the final and she’s now very much looking forward to playing in France. “They always have large crowds in France, which makes for a great atmosphere,” she said. Heather Fisher CLUB: Worcester INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 22 Heather Fisher is one of life's achievers. She may suffer from severe alopecia but refuses to dwell on it, instead keeping the focus firmly on the sport she loves. She played a big part in the 2010 World Cup in England but missed out on the final because of a fracture to her hand. Heather first started playing rugby as a 15-year-old and says: “When I started I hated contact and could not tackle for toffee. After my confidence grew and I played more and more, the contact just became a part of the game. I took a few years out of rugby when I had an opportunity to represent GB in bobsleigh around the world.

For me this made me the rugby athlete I am today and I would still love to go back to bobsleigh after I've accomplished all that I am capable of in both sevens and XVs.” Vicky Fleetwood CLUB: Lichfield INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 39 Born in Nuneaton, Vicky began playing rugby at the age of 14 after tiring of watching her brother play it. This took her away from athletics where she was once the UK’s number one junior hurdler. In her same year at school was England’s Manu Tuilagi. In 2008, she switched from centre to hooker and a month later she was playing for England U20s in a 31-0 victory over their Welsh counterparts in Cardiff. Vicky has never played in a World Cup but she said she's “very much looking forward to playing in France against new opposition. It’s the biggest accolade in a female rugby player’s career.” Further educated at Leeds Metropolitan University where Martin Hynes, the former England U20s forwards coach, helped mentor and develop Vicky’s skills on the pitch while off it she earned a degree in Sport and Exercise Science.

She began her association with her present club Lichfield at the same time. Sophie Hemming CLUB: Bristol INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 67 Prop Sophie first played rugby at Bristol University. She soon developed her rugby career to be good enough to be named as the Bristol Ladies captain. Sophie played in the 2010 World Cup in England and has taken time off from work so she can train fully in preparation for her second World Cup. She was a Grand Slam winner with England in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Sophie was named as the Bristol Ladies and the England Coaches’ Player of the Season in 2011. She has also won the RFU Linda Uttley Award, one which recognises the commitment and dedication of an individual. Emily Ryall, one of her first coaches, has been a real inspiration and was the person who persuaded Sophie not to retire from the sport she loves after breaking a leg. Natasha Hunt CLUB: Lichfield INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 24 Natasha initially began her rugby career as a full back, but a move from Bristol to Lichfield also saw her switch positions.

She has also represented Malvern, Bath, England U20 and England A. The first time that she ran out at Twickenham in England colours was the best moment of her career to date. It was her granddad we have to thank for getting her into the sport in the first place. She remembers: “He was really big on the sport and a very good player back in his day. He used to take me down to an old, sloping pitch and teach me how to kick and pass alongside my dad and sisters. My old PE teacher was the one who got me to Malvern ladies, however, so she also has to be one to thank.” Natasha represented her county in netball, football, athletics and golf and also played regional netball before deciding to change to rugby. Her initial Test appearances came against the United States, South Africa and twice against Canada in the Nations Cup in Ontario in August 2011. Sarah Hunter - vice captain CLUB: Lichfield INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 63 Sarah decided at a very young age that she wanted to play rugby for England. By the age of 23 she had realised her ambitions.

She played a full role in the 2010 World Cup in England and will never forget the final at the Stoop. “The moment that stands out is just before New Zealand were about to do the Haka and we were stood opposite waiting and all you could hear around us was a 14,000 home fans singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot.New Zealand were waiting for the crowd to go quiet before starting but the crowd just kept going and going until New Zealand eventually had to start and they were drowned out. It was an amazing feeling to know that all these people were there to support the team.” On top of studying Sport Science and Mathematics at Loughborough University, Sarah won the British Universities Championship, skippered Lichfield from 2005-09, played for the North East U18s and represented Northumberland at U16 level. Her international triumphs span the Six Nations five times, together with the European Championship, Nations Cup and the European Trophy twice each.

Her inspirational performances have seen her captain her country on many occasions and she was rewarded when she celebrated her 40th international cap with a try when captaining England to a 61-0 thrashing of Spain in the opening European Cup match of 2012. Laura Keates CLUB: Worcester INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 36 Rugby didn't find Laura that early – she first got involved with the Bishop of Hereford Bluecoat U15 team – but she has steamrolled ahead at quite a pace since. At the age of just 16 she was selected for the Under 19 England side. She then went on to captain both England U19 and U20. Laura missed out on the 2010 Rugby World Cup but picked up her first cap against USA the year after while at the Nations Cup in Canada and, sticking with her swift movement through rugby, her second came three days later against South Africa. The prop is now a firm fixture in the full England squad with 36 caps to her name so far and, after featuring in all 2012 Six Nations games, she played a part in all 12 England Test matches in 2013.

She also scored her maiden try for her country in the Nations Cup match against Canada at Infinity Park, Glendale in August. During the Six Nations, there tends to be a bit of tension in Laura's home as her housemate is Scotland captain, Tracy Balmer. Indeed, Laura names Tracy as her best friend in rugby. “We get on really well and can have a good laugh at pretty much anything,” she said. Ceri Large CLUB: Worcester INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 27 As a child Ceri used to ride her bike to Drybrook Rugby Club in Gloucestershire. She lived just a stone’s throw from the ground and would go along with her three rugby-mad brothers and her inspirational dad, Philip, who used to play for Rotherham. She remembers: “Dean, my eldest brother, started when he was seven and we’ve been up there with a ball ever since.” Ceri started playing at the age of six. She was to spend 12 years with the club.

“I still come back to Drybrook to watch as my brother Ben plays fly half for the firsts.” She'd love to emulate Jonny Wilkinson's World Cup-winning drop goal – her fondest memory – and can't wait to play in France as she says the support there is second to none. Ceri joined Worcester in 2010, winning the Most Improved Player of the Year and the Players’ Player of the Year in 2012 and she captained the side last season. In 2011, Ceri made her England debut against France. She and fellow debutant Alexandra Matthews became the first Hartpury College students to win senior women’s international rugby caps. La Toya Mason CLUB: Wasps INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 42 La Toya was brought up in Auckland, New Zealand, but is proud to represent England courtesy of her four grandparents, who were all born on English soil. She moved to England in 2009 and in a twist of fate, she made her England debut against the Kiwis later that year.

Unsurprisingly, she remembers her debut as the proudest day of her rugby life, made even more special by the fact that a few of her close friends were playing for the opposition on the same day. She admitted: “I was so nervous and emotional but it was also so amazing at the same time.” La Toya played tag rugby for the New Zealand mixed team and the England mixed team but now is a firm fixture in the full England set-up. Alexandra Matthews CLUB: Richmond INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 9 Alex owes England team mate Danielle Waterman a lot of thanks for getting where she is today. She was coached throughout the Hartpury College AASE (Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence) programme by the Bristol and England player. She also points to Maggie Alphonsi as a big influence on her. The younger sister of fellow England player, Fran, Alex also says that her favourite player is Jonah Lomu. She played seven times for England Under-20s, was London Irish Club Person of the Year in 2011 and Surrey Sportswoman of the Year in 2010. She has captained both London Irish and her county.

Joanna McGilchrist CLUB: Wasps INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 58 Jo has already bagged more than 50 caps for her country and rates the 10-3 win over New Zealand at Twickenham in November 2009 as the outstanding moment in her career and the 2010 WRWC final against the same opponents as her most memorable game. She was named player of the match in the semi-final against Australia and this time around, she told us, she's most looking forward to: “Playing on the world stage against teams you rarely play against.” Rugby may have come late to Jo – she was 21 when she started playing the game – but she didn't hang around. She played for two years in the England Students team before she muscled her way into the Test side. And when she's not donning the Red Rose, you'll find her with her club Wasps where she was named the Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year.

Katy Mclean - captain CLUB: Darlington Mowden Park Sharks INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 69 Katy took over the captaincy reins from Catherine Spencer after the 2010 World Cup and now has an MBE to her name after receiving the honour in this year's New Year's Honours List for her Services to Rugby. She was a non-playing reserve in the 2006 World Cup but played in every game in the 2010 tournament asvice-captain, apart from England's meeting with Kazakhstan. Katy got into rugby through her dad, David, who played for Westoe. “I got involved at five or six, just wanting to have a go,” she remembers. Jonny Wilkinson became her inspiration. “He’s a top bloke and I kicked with him before the last World Cup. His work ethic is immense but he’s down to earth and easyto chat to.” Katy is a vital cog in England's machine. England Head Coach, Gary Street, calls her “my eyes on the pitch”.

He said: “You need thinking players and Katy is one of those.” Katherine Merchant CLUB: Worcester INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 54 Kat has a quite remarkable record of try-scoring for her country, going over the line 41 times in her first 50 Test appearances. Kat has been with Worcester for more than a decade and won the Premiership with them two seasons ago. She started with Worcester in the U16 team before moving through to win caps at England U19, A and Sevens level. She took part in the 2009 and 2013 Rugby World Cups Sevens and played a big role in the 2010 XVs World Cup in England, something she remembers fondly. Kat said: “I owe a lot to Nicky Crawford, the former Worcester and England Women wing, who nurtured my game from when I was 16. I also admire her on-field performances.” Nicky became the first women's player to score 60 international tries. Marlie Packer CLUB: Wasps INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 28 Marlie left her West Country roots and moved to play for Wasps as her career went from strength to strength in 2013.

The flanker played in the 2013 Sevens Rugby World Cup in Moscow but has never played in a XVs World Cup and can't wait to get involved. She said: “Competing against the best in the world in my first XVs World Cup, along with the atmosphere in France, would be amazing.” Marlie began her rugby career as a five-year-old with Ivel Barbarians, a club at which she spent 13 years. She then moved to Bath before joining Bristol in 2009. She has been voted the England Players’ Player in the 2012 Six Nations Championship and was Bristol’s Personality of the Year in 2011. She has represented England U19, U20 and England A before winning a full cap when England beat Sweden 80-3 in the European Championships in Limoges in May 2008. She was initially a hooker but moved to the second row and, in recent times, has played in every back row position. Her mentors are club coach Tracey Lane and strength and conditioning coach Andy Roda.

Marlie’s favourite rugby memories are beating New Zealand twice in the 2011 Autumn International Series and her first start at Twickenham in the Six Nations against Wales. Her favourite ground is Cleve. Claire Purdy CLUB: Wasps INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 41 Versatility is a big part of Claire’s game – she's the only player to have been capped in every position in the front row for England. She played in the 2010 World Cup and can't wait for this year's tournament. “Having been a part of the 2010 adventure I know what a fantastic experience it can be. Playing in France will be an amazing experience, they get tremendous support and this will help to make the tournament a success.” Since joining her club Wasps – her only one - she has been named Players’ Player of the Year in 2007, 2009 and 2011 – a pretty good effort given that history seems to forget props when it comes to awards. Amber Reed CLUB: Bristol INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 17 Rugby is in Amber’s blood.

With her uncle, Andy Reed, a British Lion and Scotland international and her dad a keen club player in the Bristol area there was no getting away from the game while Amber was growing up. But she wouldn't have had it any other way. Amber’s never been involved in a World Cup before but after playing in France on two occasions, once for England Women Under 20s and again in this year's Six Nations, she's very much looking forward to the atmosphere for which the French are renowned. Having secured a 2:1 in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Exeter where, in the 2012/13 season, she won the British University Colleges Sports Person of the Year award, she now plays her rugby for Bristol – a team she also captains. Emily Scarratt CLUB: Lichfield INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 50 Emily may wear 13 or 15 on her back, but if you put her in any position on a rugby pitch you get the impression that she would become world class at it. In fact, you could probably say the same about a number of sports she’s been involved in.

Throw her a ball, any shape, and she'd catch it, hit it or dunk it. When she burst on to the international scene in 2008 with 12 tries in 12 games, she was being touted as the Brian O'Driscoll of the women's game. Not a bad comparison to have. Her fondest Rugby World Cup memories are England's men winning in 2003 and walking out at a packed Stoop in 2010 in the WRWC final against New Zealand. She was recently named the Sky Sportswoman of the Month in March and has also won the Rugby Players Association’s England Women’s Players’ Player in 2013 while being short-listed for the same award this year. She was also nominated for the IRB Sevens Player of the Year last season. Coming from a rugby-mad family, she started her rugby journey with Leicester Forest and found her way to Lichfield. She's got time on her side and you wouldn't put it past her topping a few of the record lists, and adding to her already impressive rugby CV by the time that journey ends.

Tamara Taylor CLUB: Darlington Mowden Park Sharks INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 73 Tamara played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and is pretty excited about playing in her third one. She said: “I’ve got vivid memories of walking towards the changing rooms at Surrey Sports Park ready for the first pool game in the 2010 World Cup, and just breathing in the atmosphere and the excitement of what was to come. I’m looking forward to being in France, I think they will put on a great tournament, and having the opportunity to take on the best teams in the world again and trying to beat them will be a fantastic experience.” Born in the West Country, Tamara made her way up to Reading, where she first started playing rugby at the age of 11 at Oratory Prep School. Back then she was a self-proclaimed “skinny winger and centre”. Now you'll see her smashing rucks and taking lineouts for her club Darlington Mowden Park Sharks and for England.

Lydia Thompson CLUB: Worcester INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 13 You can’t really do much better than score a hat-trick of tries on your England debut, and that’s just what Lydia managed to do when she was called into the national team for a game against Spain in the 2012 European Cup. Two of her three touchdowns came in the space of only four minutes. Lydia is a speedy winger with an eye for the try line and although she hasn't played in a World Cup, she says the 2010 tournament was a significant part in her rugby journey. “The Women’s 2010 RWC final between New Zealand and England is an important moment in my rugby career as it inspired me to carry on playing and aim to play for my country,” she said. Lydia’s first rugby experience was at the age of 11 in the South Staffordshire Tag tournament for Blakeley Heath Primary School. She later attended Ounsdale High in Wombourne and King Edward VI College inher home town of Stourbridge.

She played for the local club, based in Stourton, from 2004-06 and appeared at age group level for Worcester before stepping up to the senior squad at Sixways three years ago. Danielle Waterman CLUB: Bristol INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 55 It was perhaps inevitable that Danielle would end up playing rugby. After all, she is the daughter of Jim Waterman, who played more than 400 games for Bath Rugby. She recalls: “My dad started me off at Minehead when I was four and he’s still there for me, not only to work on my skills but to be my biggest critic. He has been my coach and mentor throughout my whole playing career.” Her dream is to one day play in the same side as her dad and her two brothers, Sam and Joe, who have both played county rugby at age group and senior levels. Danielle is one of the most experienced players when it comes to World Cups, having played big parts in the 2006 tournament where she featured against South Africa and France in the pool stages and started in the final against New Zealand. In 2010 she played in every game and was one of three nominees for player of the tournament.

Kay Wilson CLUB: Bristol INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 26 Kay started her career with a 10 on her back but you'll find her playing anywhere in the back three these days. Having bagged 26 caps so far in the XVs version of the game and with a sack full of sevens games under her belt, Kay is one of the “gas women”. She's never been involved in a World Cup before but made her debut in the Nations Cup and came off the bench in the famous 10-0 win over New Zealand at Twickenham in November 2011. Her first start came against Scotland in the 2012 Six Nations and her first try came against Wales in the 33-0 win later on in the same tournament. Given the strengths of her game – passing and speed – Sevens plays a big part in the life and rugby of Kay and beating Australia to win the Hong Kong Sevens in March 2012 rates as her most memorable success in an England shirt.

Back to XVs and after two seasons with Richmond she now plays her rugby with Bristol, mixing a Sports Development course at Cardiff Met with a world record attempt at how many times she can cross the Severn Bridge in a week.

Question: Which England Rugby Union international retired in 2014 after playing five seasons for Toulon?
Answer: JONNY WILKINSON